Knuckle-pin retainer for car-couplings.



J. KELSO. KNUCKLE PIN RETAINER FOR GAR COUPLINGS.

\ APPLIOATION FILED APR-.14, 1-911.

1,021,464. Patented Mar.26,1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KELSO, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MCCONWAY & TO'RLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Application filed April 14, 1911. Serial No. 621,066.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosErI-i KnLso, a citi' zen of'the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knuckle-Pin Retainers for Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of car couplers of the vertical plane type and is particularly directed to the provision of simple and etficient means for securely maintaining the knuckle pin in its normal position and for preventing the same from dropping out when broken, thus insuring proper pivotal connection of the knuckle and coupler head when the coupler is in service.

To accomplish the before-noted objects a knuckle pin retaining member is detachably mounted upon the underside of the coupler head adjacent to the knuckle pin opening therein, the retaining member being so formed that one end thereof extends under the knuckle pin and the other end thereof engages the coupler head, and such a construction embodies the principal feature of my invention.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claim, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a coupler provided with a knuckle pin retainer constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the devices shown in Fig. 1, the knuckle, however, being omitted.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which is appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the coupler head and 2 the knuckle, these two parts being pivotally connected in the usual manner by means of a knuckle pin 3.

Projecting downwardly from the under side of the coupler head 1 and located adjacent to the pivot pin opening 1 therein is a supporting member 5 by means of which the knuckle pin retaining member 6 is mounted upon the coupler head. This supporting member 5 is preferably formed as a perforated lug which is integral with the coupler head 1, the perforation being designed to receive a cotter pin 7 which passes through a similar perforation in the member 6 to thus secure the latter to the lug 5.

The knuckle pin retaining member 6 is preferably fashioned as a bar having end portions 6 and 6 respectively, which are in different planes, the portion 6 which is adapted to engage the under face of the coupler head, being higher than the opposite endportion 6 which extends beneath and preferably a slight distance below the lower end of the knuckle pin 3. When a cotter 7 is employed to attach the knuckle pin retaining member 6 to the coupler head the intermediate portion of the retaining member should be somewhat enlarged, as at 6, in order that a cotter pin aperture may be formed therein and the strength of the part be still maintained.

In order to prevent the knuckle pin 3 from moving upwardly and thus becoming disassociated from the coupler head 1 and knuckle 2, a cotter 8 may be passed through a transverse opening in the lower end of the knuckle pin in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a knuckle pin retainer for car couplers, the combination with the coupler head, knuckle andknuckle pin, said coupler head being provided with a perforated lug on its lower face, of a knuckle pin retaining member which is formed with a horizontally extending pin receiving aperture intermediate through the perforated lug on the lower of its length and with end portions which face of the coupler head. 10 are in different planes, one of said end por- In testimony whereof I affiX my signature tions engaging the coupler head outside of in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. the knuckle pin receiving aperture therein JOSEPH KELSO.

and the other extending under the knuckle Vitnesses:

pin, and a pin passing through the aperture J. W. HARTLEY,

in the knuckle pin retaining member and F. D. EGKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

